Let’s put aside the contributions of Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, for the time being, as 2026’s Opening Day lineup will likely look much closer to the average post-Deadline lineup than the one that took the field to begin 2025.
From the time of the Trade Deadline (July 31) on, the D-backs’ offense was still productive (.754 OPS). But it was extremely reliant on their top four hitters.
Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are stars. They should be carrying a large share of the load. And when healthy, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno contributed at a high level, as well.
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Post-Deadline, Arizona’s 1-4 in the order hit to a .288/.377/.498 slash, good for an .875 OPS. They hit 38 homers, 46 doubles, six triples, and contributed 137 RBI. Their 141 wRC+ (41% above league average) ranked third in the majors.
Those batters also walked 111 times against 163 strikeouts over the course of 960 plate appearances.
Now, let’s take a look at the other end of the order:
Arizona’s 5-9 hitters were, admittedly, a group of young, unproven players. Some were forced into larger roles due to trade or injury, while others earned their keep through their play.
Regardless, the disparity in offensive production was extremely evident.
Those five spots in the batting order contributed just a .232/.283/.367 slash for the D-backs after July 31, posting a .650 OPS. Their 79 wRC+ (21% below average) ranked 21st in MLB.
Over the span of 1,076 plate appearances, those hitters struck out 292 times while taking just 57 walks. That adds up to a 27.2% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate.
For some context, Suárez — a strikeout-prone and walk-reluctant slugger — holds a career 9.5% walk rate and 27.4% strikeout clip. Gurriel, who nearly never takes walks, has a career 5.6% walk rate.
Now granted, a significant drop-off is to be expected when comparing top-order stars with lower-order platoon players and rookies.
So let’s put them up against some other comparable clubs.
How Do D-backs’ Splits Compare to Similar Offensive Teams?